The Hong Kong government has said it “strongly condemns” self-exiled democrat Ted Hui over “intimidating” judicial personnel and police officers by posting their names online and calling for foreign sanctions against them.
The government on Monday said Hui had requested foreign sanctions be placed on judges, prosecutors, and law enforcement officers, and that he had called on the public “to carry out doxxing against them.”
The statement came after Hui, a former opposition lawmaker, posted the names of the judges, prosecutors, government-appointed lawyers and police officers involved in four cases and court orders against him on Facebook on Sunday.
Hui, who is now based in Australia, addressed his post to “the parliaments and intelligence agencies of free countries,” and encouraged anyone with more information about those named to contact him privately. “There will be consequences for trampling on Hong Kong’s freedoms,” he added.
In the Monday statement, a government spokesperson said Hui had “attempted to collude with a foreign country or with external elements and blatantly clamoured for so-called ‘sanctions’ and doxxing against dutiful HKSAR officials in an attempt to intimidate them.”
“The HKSAR Government strongly condemns his political grandstanding rife with ill intentions, which have been seen through by all,” the spokesperson continued, adding that Hui’s act may amount to perverting the course of justice and “collusion with foreign forces” under the Beijing-imposed national security law.
Among those named by Hui was High Court Master Kent Yee, who issued a bankruptcy order against the former lawmaker last month. Hui had previously ignored court orders for him to pay for legal costs in multiple prosecutions.
Hui was on bail pending nine criminal charges when he fled the city in 2020. He was found guilty in 2022 of four counts of contempt of court over his absence from legal proceedings.
Hui is also among 13 self-exiled pro-democracy activists wanted by national security police for allegedly breaching the Beijing-imposed security law, which criminalised secession, subversion, terrorism and foreign collusion, with sentences reaching up to life in prison.
Doxxing
The government spokesperson said that Hui’s comment “demonstrated the need” for legislation banning acts of harassment and doxxing against officers involved in national security cases, as suggested in the consultation paper for a new security law required under Article 23 of the Basic Law.
A one-month public consultation period for the proposed legislation, which seeks to introduce offences to protect officers handling national security cases from “intimidation, harassment, or threats” ended last Wednesday.
The spokesperson added that authorities would pursue Hui and anyone who assisted him in absconding and endangering national security from overseas.
See also: Article 23 – Hong Kong’s homegrown security law
In a separate statement on Monday, the Privacy Commissioner for Personal Data (PCPD) also said it “strongly condemns” Hui for suspected doxxing of judges and public officers.
“The PCPD reminds members of the public that doxxing is a serious offence,” the privacy watchdog said, adding that offenders could be fined up to HK$1 million and jailed for up to five years.
“Members of the public are urged not to respond to Ted Hui’s post by doxxing the officers listed in the post or providing the personal data of other officers,” the statement added.
Support HKFP | Policies & Ethics | Error/typo? | Contact Us | Newsletter | Transparency & Annual Report | Apps
Help safeguard press freedom & keep HKFP free for all readers by supporting our team
